


AU - Mechanicals

by Aria6



Series: A Coyote's Stories [43]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Aizen is a bastard, Alternate Universe, Androids, M/M, Mad Science, sexbot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 01:52:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3363359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Author's Note: This is loosely inspired by Girl Genius. It's an online web comic and super cool. ^_^</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This is loosely inspired by Girl Genius. It's an online web comic and super cool. ^_^

"Oi, Starrk!" He ignored the voice, gazing into the depths of a test tube beaker. The life-form growing there was rather unusual but was maturing at a substandard rate. Perhaps if he – "OI! Put me down!"

"No. The master is busy." That voice finally distracted him and he looked up to see Halibel holding Lilinette up by one arm. They looked like mother and daughter, if wind-up toys could be such things.

"Halibel, let her go. Lilinette, what is it?" He asked as he regarded the creation he considered to be his sister. She was made of cold silver metal, engraved with beautiful designs of gold. Her eyes were pink glass and glowed with a soft light. Halibel was similar in design, but adult to child and her eyes were green.

"Are you doing something crazy again? You are, aren't you?" She asked and he blinked, reaching up to adjust his red goggles before looking at the beaker again. He didn't think this was crazy. Of course, he likely wasn't the best judge of that. "Yeah, you are!"

"It's just a biological experiment." He tried to gloss it over although, truthfully, biological sciences were not his strong suit. He was an expert at creating mechanicals and very good at manipulating energy. There was some overlap – he was very good some forms of brainwashing, the ones that depended on electrical patterns – but overall his biological experiments were a failure. Lilinette tried to grab the test tube but Halibel caught her arm before she could touch it.

"Are you playing with THAT GUY again? Give it up Starrk!" She said all too accurately and he flinched. "You've already got a shrine to him! The dead don't come back! Just give it up!"

"I'm not working with him." He retorted, which was true. This was an experiment although the end goal was related to what Lilinette was nattering about.

"Then are you trying to make a clone of him?" She asked and Starrk looked at the beaker sadly. "OI! You are! What good would that do? It wouldn't be him!"

"He's not quite dead Lilinette. If I could create a new body for him and transplant the brain…" Starrk turned to look at the containment unit in the middle of the room. It was flat steel and nothing inside could be seen, which was how he preferred it. The man they were discussing was inside.

"You are not the best at biologicals, master." Halibel said as Lilinette blew a raspberry at him. "Perhaps you should attempt to transfer his mental patterns to an inorganic container."

"Perhaps…" He knew his servant and bodyguard was right. That would be much, much easier for him. If he did that though… "He would be a wind-up toy." That was the derogatory term for mechanicals like Halibel and Lilinette. There was a great prejudice against them, in general. That didn't mean much for most of his creations – he knew what they were, their capabilities and the emotions they had – but how would it be for a full transferal? A man who had once been alive? How would he adapt to that?

"Oh come on! It wouldn't be that bad!" Lilinette protested and Starrk sighed. "Right Halibel?"

"…." She remained silent and Starrk looked up to see Halibel was looking away. Her face wasn't as flexible as Lilinette's – she was an older version – but he could still spot the sadness in her. "You are very sheltered, Lilinette." She finally said and Starrk rubbed his forehead before nodding and kneeling so he could be on the same level as his creation.

"I've kept you very much to myself, Lilinette." He said, opening his arms to her. She took the invitation and snuggled against him. Starrk ignored the hard edges, the cool metal, in favor of the body in his arms. "You don't know the disdain your kind are held in." Of course, a large part of the reason for that was that most were nothing but automatons. "You mentioned my shrine. Most of your kind are more like… him… than like you." He said softly as Lilinette sniffed.

"Aw Starrk." She muttered before pulling away to look in his face. "That thing is kind of creepy y'know. You should get rid of it." She said and Starrk sighed, looking down.

"I know." In many ways, his 'shrine' was his best work. He'd never made a wind-up toy so realistic in his life. "I could try to make something like that for him, I suppose." Yet, he wasn't sure he should do that. His toy could occasionally be 'creepy' because it was too realistic, too close to human, yet sometimes moved in a very inhuman way. It was much easier to make something very inhuman with just a few human features, to make it relatable and attractive.

"Well, whatever you're gonna do, stop playing with the biologicals! You're hopeless." She said and Starrk frowned as he glanced at his beaker. Then he carefully set it back in the rack.

"You might be right." He would think about it, at least. "What's for supper?" He asked, mainly to get their minds off his shortcomings. Halibel answered obediently.

"Pickled beef tongue on rye bread with sauerkraut and onions." She said and he frowned. That was an interesting menu.

"Do I need to place a food order again?" Flipping through his reminder book, he grimaced as he saw the dates. "I do. I'll take care of that tomorrow." He didn't mind the tongue at all – in fact, he loved those – but they really should have more vegetables than sauerkraut.

After a bit more puttering in his lab, Starrk went to supper. Lilinette and Halibel accompanied him, although they did not eat. Halibel to guard him and Lilinette to just keep him company. As he ate, several of the other mechanicals stopped by to give their daily reports. Some were more annoying than others.

"The kittens are fine. Growing like fucking weeds. Why am I in charge of these things again?" Grimmjow snarled. It was his usual tone of voice.

"Duh, because you're a cat!" Lilinette piped up and Grimmjow started forward with a snarl. He halted instantly as Starrk raised his hand.

"Because you're the one who enjoys taking long trips through the wilderness." Starrk said, which was true. Grimmjow was a prototype wilderness scout unit. His design was in wide use, now, although all the newer ones were his inferior in terms of intelligence. Starrk had needed to 'dumb down' the design for mass production. It was a common issue with mechanicals. "Are you telling me you don't enjoy it?"

"Well, yeah, but just to go look at some goddamned kittens…" Starrk smiled at the complaint. Grimmjow felt that his time was being wasted. It was almost cute.

"Endangered kittens with pelts worth a small fortune. I need you to report even the slightest sign of poachers." He reminded the mechanical, who grumbled but finally conceded the necessity.

"They do have pretty fur. I'll keep an eye on 'em." He promised, as he usually did. Starrk nodded, sure that his creation would tend to his duties well. Grimmjow had permission to kill anyone he caught going after the kittens and that was something he would very much enjoy.

After supper, Starrk worked on a few other projects for a while. They were things Aizen-sama had assigned to him, work that needed to be done. After he had completed a good amount of grunt work, he decided to pay a visit to his 'shrine.'

It was actually nothing more than a bedroom. Very comfortable, with dim romantic lighting. The form in the bed stirred as soon as he entered the room, turning to look at him with an inviting smile.

"Starrk. I've been waiting for you." The form on the bed said invitingly. It was one of five programmed responses he had, when Starrk entered the room. But he refused to think about that as the naked man in the bed stood up, going over to him with the intent to undress him. That was one option of three…

"Shunsui." Starrk murmured as warm hands went through his hair, a mouth closing over his neck. "I've missed you." There was no verbal response, just those hands undoing his shirt. He helped, shrugging off the thin material. "Ah…" He groaned as a hand rubbed him through his pants, teasing his body. "That feels so good." His wind-up toy was programmed to please him and had many, many variations on how to do that.

Tonight it took him from behind, nibbling his throat as it took him in a fast paced rhythm. Starrk gasped, feeling the grace and power of those movements, the heat of that erection buried deep inside him. It was sick and wrong, to make a toy for this, but this was more than that. This was a cherished memory, something he'd thought would last forever. The thought sent pain pricking through his heart even as he approached his orgasm.

"Shunsui!" He cried out that familiar, beloved name as he came, coating the hand encircling his erection with warm release. The body behind him stiffened and the cock throbbed inside him, a perfect imitation of orgasm. It felt nothing, really. It was only fake but Starrk so wanted to pretend.

They lay together in the aftermath and Starrk sighed, looking in the face of his lover. Shunsui looked tired and content but the way his eyes were half-lidded, the small smile on his face seemed to speak of secrets to Starrk. He hadn't really thought about it when Shunsui was alive but now he wondered what had been behind that little smile.

"Shunsui?" He buried his face against that strong chest, feeling warm arms around him. "Why did you try to kill me?" He asked, his voice fragile and weak. A gentle hand stroked his hair, programmed to give him comfort.

"I really couldn't say." That was his wind-up toy's answer, whenever it was confronted with a question it had no response to. Starrk sniffed and closed his eyes, breathing in the slightly musky, completely masculine scent that was his lover. It was perfect and as he took it in, he allowed his mind to travel back into the past. Words that were spoken, declarations of love (never returned but he hadn't worried about that it wasn't a problem if he couldn't say it they both knew he felt it) times spent just being together in the court and city and his manor… Starrk fell deeply asleep, living a dream of the past that seemed so perfect.

It hadn't lasted, but even in his dreams he liked to pretend.

* * *

"…" Starrk chewed his lip, looking at the readouts. The man within the containment unit wasn't doing well. Life support systems could only do so much, suspend activity only so long. Organs were starting to fail and if he didn't do something he was going to lose what remained of the man he loved. "Damn." There was just no time to make a cloned body. There wasn't even time to get help from someone else. He'd been avoiding that because he knew the price would be too high, but it seemed he'd put it off too long. "…" Turning away he began work on a mechanical.

He'd considered putting his lover in the wind up toy that so looked like him, but finally rejected the idea. That toy was already so complex, such a beautiful construct that he was loathe to purge it. Also, he was afraid he was still going to need it. Starrk shuddered a little at the thought but knew it was the truth. This might not go well at all…

Pushing aside that thought he kept putting together the body. He had some time before the life supports failed. He would make something beautiful and artistic for Shunsui, something he would be proud of. It wouldn't be very human but it would be gorgeous.

And so he did. The body resembled his old one in general build and size. Vaguely, it resembled Lilinette and Halibel, but it was bronze instead of silver. Instead of gold filigree, he decorated it with black tracery. The face was fully flexible, capable of displaying any emotion. And unlike most mechanicals, this one was anatomically correct and capable of giving and receiving pleasure. For those portions, Starrk used the same design as his wind-up toy, but a thin coating of bronze colored sheathing rather than the intricate flesh coating he'd used on the other.

Finally feeling that his work was complete, Starrk began the difficult and frightening task of transferring Shunsui's mind to its new container. Difficult because he needed to map all the mental patterns precisely. In a sense, this was a copying, not a direct transfer… which made him wonder if it would really be the same man. But this had been done before and apparently, no one could tell the difference when it was done right. The question of the soul bothered him but he resolutely set it aside. He had no proof souls even existed.

Frightening because he was deeply concerned about Shunsui's reaction. How would he feel about being a mechanical? And of course, there was the question he would have to ask. Would Shunsui give him an answer? What kind of answer did he want to hear? It terrified him because Starrk was certain it would not be good. Yet, he couldn't let Shunsui die. He loved him…

His hands moved with practiced skill as he worked the equipment, watching the readings carefully. His emotional turmoil could not be allowed to affect him and he ignored it, continuing the process. It had to be perfect…

When the end came, he was surprised. Starrk looked at the machine blankly for a moment before drawing his hands away. Swallowing hard, he pressed the final button and turned to look at his newest creation. Power flowed in a slow, steady surge before the eyes gained light. The glass was grey, the same color it had been when he was alive.

"What…" Shunsui twitched, adapting to his new container. Starrk watched, his heart in his throat as the mechanical quickly gained control of himself, sitting up. "…Starrk?" He sounded surprised. But then, his last memory would be of Starrk's defensive routines dealing him a fatal blow. "You never told me you had that many implants." He sounded almost vexed. Starrk blinked, wetting his lips. His mouth felt dry.

"I… don't know precisely how many I have. Aizen did that to me a long time ago." Included was a small explosive implanted into his skull. Removing it would be almost impossible and it ensured his absolute loyalty to his ultimate master. "I prefer not to talk about it." He saw no reason to tell people that if his life was truly threatened, he would react like a master assassin. And there was even less reason for them to know that Aizen could hijack his body, if he really wanted to. It hurt that his own father had done this to him. Shunsui was looking at his hands, now. The expression on his face was blank.

"You've transferred me to a mechanical body." He observed after a moment and Starrk held his breath, hoping that Shunsui wouldn't be angry. "…I suppose I should thank you." He stood smoothly and those grey eyes fixed on him. "But I do have a mission to complete."

"Mission?" Starrk felt faint. The best scenario he'd been able to come up with was that Shunsui had been blackmailed into betraying him, somehow. Everyone had a family. That he'd been tasked with seducing and betraying him before they even met… that was his nightmare and it seemed to be coming true. Shunsui smiled then and it was so sad, so regretful.

"Ah, Starrk. You are so very sweet." The mechanical advanced on him and Starrk backed away until he was pinned against a wall. "I am an agent for Soul Society. I was sent to spy on you and report on your work." A hand stroked his cheek as Starrk felt breathless with pain. Their romance… had not been real? "And when the time was right…" That hand suddenly gripped his throat. But the grip was gentle, not the choking pressure that was intended. A puzzled look crossed Shunsui's face and Starrk spoke.

"I never forget the golden rule, Shunsui." Aizen had pounded that into him from a young age. The mechanical stared at him and while his expression hardly changed, Starrk could feel his rage.

"Never make a weapon that can be turned against you." He said and Starrk nodded, reaching up to stroke that bronze colored wrist. The metal felt cool under his fingertips and emotionally, he knew he was in shock. Shunsui had just tried to kill him again. That had been his mission, his purpose from the very beginning. "But I know you Starrk. You wouldn't put in anything more than you have to. So I can't kill you but tell me… can I hurt you?"

The hand let go of his throat, but only to slap him. Although that was putting it far too tamely. Starrk ended up on the floor, gasping and shaking as he felt like the side of his face had just been flayed from his jaw to his hairline. Something wet trailed down his face and he vaguely realized the metal had bitten in, gouging him in places. As he lay on the floor, reeling in both physical and emotional shock, he heard his lover speak.

"I will find a way to kill you someday." Then Shunsui was leaving the room. Starrk vaguely heard him go, heard Halibel's voice and Lilinette's questioning, angry tones. Then his two creations were in the room.

"Master!" "Starrk!" They were gently helping him to sit and Starrk heard Halibel hiss as she registered the damage he'd taken. Lilinette was sputtering in rage as she tried to apply pressure to the wounds without aggravating the bruises.

"Shunsui…?" Where had he gone? Halibel answered.

"He has left the manor. We did not harm him, as per your instructions." She sounded like she resented that. But then, Halibel was quite protective of him.

"We should have killed him! That bastard!" Lilinette said and Starrk took a shuddering breath before heaving a sob. "He was a spy wasn't he? I knew it!"

"Lili… nette…" He opened his arms to her and held her close, releasing his pain as he cried into her soft green hair. The pain was almost overwhelming.

His love for Shunsui had been based on nothing but a lie.

* * *

"OI STARRK!" He winced as a little fist hit him in the head. He let his creations hurt him a bit. Sometimes, he needed a bit of pain to motivate him, a lesson Aizen had taught him. They were just forbidden to kill or cripple him. "Are you being funky again?"

"I'm fine." His voice sounded lifeless even to himself, though. Lilinette scowled at him and Starrk was sure she was itching to punch him again. "I'm doing my work." That was critically important. Aizen had provided him with this manor and allowed him to mostly retire from the court on the condition that he complete his projects well and on time. If he allowed his work to suffer he would likely be called back to court and right now, that would be a nightmare. His 'father' could sense weakness like a shark could smell blood.

"You know Starrk, I've been thinking. You're all going on about how no one'll ever love you, right?" She asked and he blinked back a few tears. He was sure that was true, now. Aizen had never cared for him beyond his use as a tool and now he knew Shunsui was the same. Would anyone ever see him for himself and see something worth having? For more than his skills with mechanicals? "Why don't you take that thing in your shrine and make him into something to love you?"

"…What?" Starrk asked, startled. Lilinette huffed at him.

"Make a mechanical to love you! You make us for everything else! You made me to be your sister. Why not make a lover for yourself?" She asked and Starrk stared at her, taken aback. "I know people will think you're weird but they think that anyway. You should make yourself happy!"

"Lilinette…" What she was suggesting was more than frowned upon. It was taboo, creating a mechanical for such a purpose. His shrine and even Lilinette had been skirting the edges of that. "That's not right." He muttered. Everyone knew he was lonely and took solace in his creations, but did he want to go that far? "It would be nothing but another lie." Pretend, but on another level than what he'd done so far. Then Lilinette's fist hit him again and he winced.

"HEY! Am I lying to you? I love you Starrk!" Her hug left him breathless and he blinked. "I love you so much! I don't care if you made me to feel that way, you're my brother and a love you!"

"…" Starrk's eyes misted over as he hugged her back. "I know you do." He had programmed her that way. She had no choice but to love him but over time, she had matured and come to understand him, completely. "Maybe you're right." Everyone knew he was pathetic. Why not go all the way? "I'll think about it… although, if I do that I should restyle him a bit. And give him a new name."

"Yeah, start thinking about it!" Lilinette seemed pleased with what she'd done and Starrk smiled, ruffling her hair. She knew how his mind was gripped by a fascinating project. And the thought of taking his wind-up toy and turning it into something more… that did grip his imagination.

Once something took his fancy, it never took him long to start making plans. He continued on the train designs he was making for Aizen – those were fascinating too – but began spending his free time on how he would redesign his toy. He quickly decided he would keep the same general appearance. He'd been attracted to Shunsui from the moment he'd laid eyes on him. That was the kind of build he liked the most…

Leaving that thought aside, he kept his toys body the same and settled for cosmetic differences. He redid his hair, cutting it short and removed most of his beard, changing it to a spade beard that was similar to his own. He altered the color of the eyes slightly, lightening them to a blueish grey. Then he began work on the mind.

He completely removed everything he'd started with. That kind of automaton work was not what he needed now. He needed a construct as complex and real as anything he'd ever made in his life. That would not be something like Grimmjow or Halibel. As lovely as they both were, he'd known he would have to modify their design, alter it for mass production. This would be something like Lilinette or the Muses he'd made for his father. A masterwork, something that would endure long after he was dead.

"Unless someone destroys it." He muttered to himself. One of his Muses had already been destroyed. His father had given the Muse of Dance to the Ice King of the far North and the man had attempted to take her apart, learn her secrets. That had greatly distressed Starrk but he'd taken some grim satisfaction in knowing that the man had failed. His original works were far more complex than the mass produced ones. "Hm." Should he try to make this creation similar to a Muse? Give him a great talent? Perhaps…

Or perhaps not. Starrk finally decided to leave most of the mind unformed, childlike. This creation would be his lover and know that making him happy was his purpose, but the rest would grow and evolve with time. It was a bit of a risk, doing it that way, but Starrk wanted to see what his toy could become. He'd done this with Lilinette and she had turned into something beautiful, after all.

Smiling to himself, Starrk sent the final pulse of electricity to his creation with a flick of a switch. He knew that many geniuses of his stripe preferred lightning rods and other such things, but he liked the simple convenience of a knob. The generator itself was powered by coal, nothing as dramatic as fires of the sky.

Eyelids fluttered open, revealing those blue grey eyes. There was so human, although they were actually made of a brand new type of polymer plastic. An expression of wonder passed over that face and Starrk smiled, feeling joy welling up in his heart. This was what he lived for. This first moment, when one of his creations looked at the world for the first time.

"Oh." He sounded as wondering as he looked. That was something else Starrk had altered, just a touch… his voice was younger. Before, his wind-up toy had sounded like an older man, experienced and powerful. Now he sounded like a young man, hardly more than a boy. "I… wow?" Starrk chuckled softly as his creation sat up, glancing around. His eyes quickly found Starrk and softened as a shy smile crossed his face. "Coyote Starrk." He immediately knew his creator and his purpose. That quickly turned a bit embarrassing as the young construct tried to fulfill it. Starrk was surprised and amused to find himself pulled into a kiss. He pulled away with a laugh, gently catching that warm brown hair.

"Calm down. I know you're eager to fulfill your duties, but I need to check over your systems." He said teasingly and the young mechanical just looked at him with complete trust. "Here, sit back down." The construct sat down and Starrk began checking him over. "Everything is running smoothly." Although he wouldn't have expected anything else.

"…What is my name?" The mechanical asked, sounding troubled. Starrk smiled, brushing back a bit of his hair. He'd thought about this for a very long time.

"Efran. Your name is Coyote Efran." He was naming this young thing in the human way, last name first. And giving him his own last name… not that that meant much. His name was something Aizen had created for him. Starrk didn't know his mother's name. He'd asked about her, before, but no one knew and Aizen would not say. "You will help fill the hole in my heart." That was wrong. He knew it was wrong, but sometimes, there was no way to be right. His creation pulled him into a kiss and Starrk let him, savoring those warm lips.

This would be real, for a certain value of real. He no longer had to pretend.


	2. Chapter 2

"Efran…" Starrk groaned as warm hands grasped him, a hard length rubbing against his buttocks. He'd just been bending over one of his household automatons, fixing some minor damage. Fortunately or unfortunately, his new creation considered that an invitation.

"I want you." Efran breathed in his ear and Starrk shuddered at the heat in his voice, the wanton desire that curled in that husky tone. It reminded him of Shunsui but not as they had been near the end. No… more like it had been in the beginning, when everything was shiny and new. Starrk would never have complained in a million years, but after they'd gone back to the manor things had gradually seemed to flatten out. It had still been wonderful when they'd had sex but that had been once a week at the most –

" _Ah!"_ Starrk gasped in pain as teeth sunk into his shoulder. Not hard enough to break the skin but enough to sting. Efran nuzzled him apologetically before whispering in his ear.

"You're thinking about him again." The young construct abruptly grabbed him by the waist, turning him around. The look in his eyes matched his voice… pure, molten heat. "Don't think about him, just think about me." Starrk groaned as he was attacked again, their hips grinding together. His pants felt far too tight. Internally, he cursed Lilinette. He hadn't been planning to tell Efran about Shunsui at all but she had told him _everything._ That had made Efran think it was his job to keep him from even thinking about the man who had betrayed him.

And he did do a very good job of it. Starrk gasped and arched as he was pressed against the table, well lubed fingers sliding into his body. His pants were down round his ankles and he kicked them away impatiently before gripping those muscular shoulders and clinging to Efran's body, hitching his legs in just the right way to hold himself up. The mechanical helped him, sliding his hands under his body and parting his cheeks with easy skill. Then that hard length was sliding up into him and Starrk tossed his head back, feeling that heavy cock teasing his insides in precisely the right way…

"Efran." Starrk breathed his creation's name, looking into those grey-blue eyes. " _Efran!_ " He didn't know if it was because he'd had so long to prepare for the worst, or just his new lover's adorable, inquisitive nature, but he could already feel his pain ebbing away. Replacing it was the joy he was taking in his new mechanical. "AH!" He was getting too close. Manfully throttling it back, he gripped Efran's shoulders as their bodies' molded together. It all felt so amazing…

When Starrk came it was powerful beyond words. He cried out, a wordless, lust filled cry as his semen erupted, splattering both himself and his lover. Efran's breathing speeded up and he stiffened a moment later, his organ pulsing. Starrk knew that he was really feeling pleasure, now. That was something he was fully capable of.

"I think I've created a monster." Starrk said drowsily as he nuzzled that warm neck, smelled the delicious scent. There was a questioning sound from his creation as he left his body. There was no fluid there, no mess, which was actually quite pleasant. "You want to do this all the time." He ran a hand down Efran's side, feeling languid and pleased.

"You don't want to do it this much?" Efran asked, uncertainty shining in his eyes. Starrk laughed, staggering a bit as he took his weight again.

"Oh no. I love how much you want me." He assured the young mechanical, who smiled and nuzzled him lovingly. "And if I ever don't want it, I'll let you know." That had never once come up with Shunsui, but he wouldn't be surprised if it did with Efran. "Sometimes, I need to concentrate on my work." He cautioned and Efran nodded earnestly.

"I understand." Starrk really doubted that. He'd had a bit of trouble with Lilinette, before she'd come to understand his needs. He shook the thought away, smiling to himself. It was all a process. Picking his pants back up, he quickly pulled them on as Efran straightened his own clothing. "Would you like me to get you something to eat?" Efran asked as Starrk picked up his tools. He paused, thinking about it and shook his head.

"Not yet. But if you could tell Lilinette that I would like tea in the parlor, around two?" She would know to get everything arranged and fetch him at the right time. Efran nodded before sliding an arm around his waist, gently kissing his cheek before leaving the room. Starrk smiled as he went back to his work. He really did need to fix this servant. But when that was done, he would have tea with his sister and his lover, as Halibel stood guard.

Everything was perfect.

* * *

"Ah, thank kami." Starrk murmured as he saw off the courier carrying all the important documents for his latest work. Aizen had dumped a very thorny problem in his lap and given him an extremely tight deadline. Starrk had worked for three days straight, barely stopping to eat and sleep. Now it was done and his life could go back to normal, for a certain value of normal.

Stepping back in the house, though, he immediately was hit on the head.

"OI STARRK!" Lilinette was glaring at him and he blinked, rubbing his head. "I know Aizen's an asshole so you had to be an asshole too but you need to go talk to Efran right now! He's upset, really upset!" She said sharply and Starrk stared at her for a moment before groaning.

"Oh damn." Efran had tried to interrupt him twice, interest him in sex. Starrk had very sternly told him to go away. He'd known at the time, in a vague sort of way, that he was hurting the young constructs feelings. But when Aizen was ridiculously demanding, he had to concentrate. Shunsui had understood that… Starrk almost flinched at the thought. Now he knew that Shunsui had probably been glad to have an excuse not to share his bed, and even happier that there was plenty of information to gather. "I'll talk to him. Where is he?"

"In the bell tower." She said, which made Starrk wince. That was a place clearly meant for being alone and brooding.

Getting up the bell tower wasn't too easy. Starrk was exhausted but forced himself up the stairs anyway. When he reached the top, his legs felt like jelly and he had to blink rapidly to clear his eyes. When was the last time he'd slept? At least sixteen hours ago…

"Efran?" He called, hoping the young mechanical would come to him. There was a soft shuffling sound and then a form stood in front of him, haloed by the evening sun behind.

"Starrk?" His lover sounded drained, in deep pain. Starrk flinched a bit at the tone. Then arms were going around him, holding him up a bit. That was welcome but the sniffling against his neck was alarming. Efran could not generate tears but he could display his unhappiness in a human fashion, with sobs and tightly closed eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I'll do better, I swear – "

"Your fault?" Starrk stroked the young construct's cheek, holding him close. "None of this is your fault. Efran, we need to talk." He'd thought Efran didn't really understand the whole concept of leaving him alone. Now, he was sure of it. "Come, let's go to the window." That was a beautiful spot to sit and think. He'd often done that, when he wanted to meditate. And after that climb he desperately needed to sit. Soon they were both sitting in the stone window and Starrk could see how absolutely wretched Efran looked. "What do you think if your fault?" He asked gently and the young construct sniffed.

"I – I haven't been serving you well. I haven't been making you happy." He said softly and Starrk winced to himself. Yes, that was exactly the same problem Lilinette had had, so long ago. "I – I couldn't… I'm sorry."

"Efran." He caught the other mechanical's hands in his own, giving him a gentle squeeze. "Your purpose is not to make me happy all the time." He said gently, seeing his confusion. "Your purpose is to make me as happy as you can, when you can. That isn't all the time and that is not your fault." Examining the construct he saw doubt and uncertainty on his face, shining in those grey blue eyes. He was so easy to read, nothing like Shunsui. "Let me give you an example." Mechanicals tended to be very concrete so this might help. "If Aizen decided to call me back to court, take away my manor and disperse my servants, I would be very unhappy." He said softly, feeling a deep pain at the thought. It could happen someday. He knew that. "That would not be your fault and there would be very little to nothing you could do to comfort me." He saw Efran bite his lip, looking down at their hands. "No one can be entirely responsible for someone else's happiness. That's not fair and it's not right."

"But… I… my programming…" Efran protested and Starrk squeezed his hands again.

"Your programming is only a basis for your behavior. You need to learn and grow, figure out the best ways to fulfill it." He said, trying with all his might to make Efran understand. He was causing himself pain for no reason. "Eventually, you'll know when to interrupt me, when I need to be drawn out and when I need to be alone." He let go of the other man's hands to reach up, gently cup his face. The mechanical nuzzled him, accepting the gesture. "If you ever wonder, ask Lilinette. She knows me very well." Starrk was a bit surprised Lilinette wasn't jealous. But then, this had been her idea, she wanted it to go well. And she had never really liked Shunsui. "Now I – uh…" Starrk couldn't stop a yawn and had to blink rapidly, fighting to stay awake. Efran's expression quickly turned concerned.

"Starrk?" He moved closer, catching his arms in a warm grip. "Are you alright?" He asked and Starrk managed a smile.

"Just tired. Working so hard for so long…" He rubbed his head, feeling immense fatigue bearing down on him. He was hungry, too, but that was meaningless compared to the desperate need to sleep. "Ah god." He was on the top of the bell tower. "Efran, can you please help me down the stairs?" He honestly wasn't sure he'd make it and this place was no good to sleep.

"Of course." His creation said, gently helping him to stand. Starrk gratefully took the support as he went down the stairs, leaning on the young mechanical. Efran felt so warm and solid, beside him.

It was a wonderful feeling.

* * *

After that, Starrk devoted more time and attention to Efran.

He was so young and unformed, so questing and curious. He loved getting into everything, his agile mind learning and growing with leaps and bounds. The young mechanical absolutely loved books and especially loved strategy games, the kind that literally took days to play. Starrk loved them too and while Lilinette found them boring, she often joined in to keep the two of them company.

Efran did not have any talents in the arts, though. His drawings were good but mechanical, without any spark. His attempts at music were awful and did not inspire him. Starrk asked him to give it a fair try and for a week, the young mechanical tried to master the violin. Lilinette's complaining about the mistreatment of the cat finally moved them both to end the experiment.

Efran's greatest talent, though, took Starrk completely by surprise. When he first witnessed it he was alarmed, to say the least.

"HAH!" Efran grinned as he swung his sword on Grimmjow. It was only a wooden practice blade but Starrk stared wide eyed as the other mechanical struggled to evade it. "Got you – AWK!" Grimmjow was very clever, though, and Efran had misjudged his opponent. He went down and ended up with sharp claws pressed to his throat. "Ah, cheater!"

"There's no such thing as cheating in a fight." Grimmjow told him with a growling laugh. Efran also laughed as the claws were pulled away. "Want to try – oh, master. You need anything?" He asked and Efran looked over at him, his grey eyes wide and surprised. Starrk blinked before shaking his head.

"No. I was just watching." He said before smiling at them both. "I'm going to have tea with Lilynette at three, if you want to come." That was in roughly an hour. Efran nodded with a smile.

"I'll be there!" He said and Starrk nodded before going back inside. He didn't leave, though. He wanted to watch but without Efran realizing he was there. He had a feeling his presence might make the young mechanical self-conscious and he wanted to observe.

Starrk could easily see the joy Efran took in the sparring, the easy grace he moved with. He hadn't designed him as a combat model, though. His speed and strength were inferior to Grimmjow's. Yet, despite that, he managed to do well and it would be difficult but possible to retrofit him for combat. Starrk hated the thought of seeing Efran in danger, but he knew it would be wrong to deny his creation something he was good at. Perhaps…

Leaving them alone, he went to meet Lilynette for tea. He was just settling in when Efran arrived, a bit tousled and dirty but extremely happy. Starrk smiled at the sight, feeling his resolve firm. This was the right thing to do.

"Efran, if you want, I can refit you to enhance your combat abilities." He said as his mechanical looked at him with wide eyes. Then he grinned happily. That… made him look so different from Shunsui. His old lover had often smiled, usually with that mysterious hint. But he'd hardly ever grinned like that, so happy and cheerful.

"I would love that! Thank you!" Efran said, his eyes bright and eager. "I could be your bodyguard! A secret one, because everyone will think I'm human." He suggested and Starrk blinked.

"I… perhaps…" Although right now he still had those vaguely inhuman moments Lilinette had mentioned. Hmm. "I would need to work on you a bit. Right now, it's fairly obvious that you're a construct." Perhaps Efran could fool someone for a day or two, but no longer than that. Efran looked surprised and disappointed.

"It is? I'm sorry." He apologized and Starrk had to laugh. He was so cute, sometimes.

"That's not your fault! It's in how you move." He assured the young construct. "Maybe I can fix it although it might affect your mobility." Right now Efran could do things that a human just couldn't, like turning his head to look directly behind him. Well, some humans might be able to do that, but not many. His other constructs all had the same movements but it mattered less for them. With something that looked so human, the effect was jarring and uncomfortable. Efran frowned but nodded.

"That would be worth it, to keep me secret." He said and Starrk nodded. Lilynette spoke up then, playing with her spoon. She didn't eat, of course – neither of them did – so she tended to just play with the cutlery.

"Yeah, it totally would! Although you can't keep him secret from Aizen, can you?" She asked and Starrk flinched at the reminder.

"I… would not dare. If he found out…" If Aizen found out he'd dared keep a secret from him, Efran would be torn to pieces in front of him. After that, his personal torture would follow. Efran blinked at him innocently.

"Isn't he your father? Doesn't he love you?" That innocent inquiry made him feel breathless with pain. Starrk reached for his tea with a shaking hand as Lilynette slapped Efran on the shoulder. "Ow! What?"

"Aizen's a prick! He's not Starrk's dad, he's his CREATOR!" She snapped, and he nodded. That was a very good rendition of their relationship. "Halibel's told me about what went on in Los Noches! He'd punish Starrk for stuff he couldn't do, just to keep him in his place! Halibel thinks he's worried Starrk might slip his leash!"

"Aizen is quite paranoid." Starrk added as Efran stared at her wide-eyed. "Despite my implants and other features, he still fears me." Not that he would ever say that where anyone but his creations could hear. But it was the truth. Starrk's genius was almost unique. There were other mechanical designers, of course, but very few who could create such amazing original works. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so special." Although if he wasn't… Lilynette put it into words.

"Aizen might've killed you by now if you weren't. Didn't you have a brother?" She asked and Efran's eyes got a bit wider. Starrk picked up a cookie, eating it.

"I had two siblings. One was culled very young and the other died during implantation." He said quietly and saw Efran swallow. "He wasn't as valuable as I was." That had led Aizen to try out some experiments on him. Starrk might be dangerous, but he was too special to waste that way.

"That's horrible." Efran's voice was muted and Starrk decided not to tell him anything more. That had been enough and he didn't want to scar the young construct more than he had to.

"Yes." He agreed before changing the subject. "I've been thinking about the New Year's festival. Perhaps we could have a sleigh ride?" Even… "I've been considering redoing the current sleigh." It was a mechanical too and a rather beautiful set, six reindeer constructs and a sleigh. Nothing at all advanced, of course. Just basic intelligence and he kept them shut down when they were not in use. Efran perked up at the thought.

"A sleigh ride? I've never done that. It sounds like fun!" He said and Starrk smiled to himself. He had a plan for how to make it more exciting for the young mechanical. Lilynette sighed and his smile widened. He'd make it better for her, too.

"Boring! It's all so slow. Well… it was really pretty the first year." She said grudgingly as Efran looked disappointed. "You'll probably love it."

"Yes, I put up lights…" Starrk described how it would be, leaving out his plans to make it interesting. Efran was soon interested again, enjoying the thought of a scenic tour through a winter wonderland. Starrk couldn't wait to show him.

It would be wonderful.

* * *

"Wow! It's so pretty." Efran marveled at the sleigh as Starrk smiled.

"We are a thing of great beauty!" The lead mechanical reindeer said proudly. While only basic, they could speak and had some emotions, like most of his creations. And it was true, they were quite beautiful. The leader was the largest of the constructs, glittering silver with lacy filigree of pure white. Great silver horns spread over his head and his eyes were a glowing blue. The other reindeer had horns that were less majestic and were slightly smaller, but otherwise matched their leader.

The sleigh itself continued the theme. The main body of it was silver and the loops and whorls around the edges were white, giving the impression of clouds. There were blue lights set in those whorls, casting a soft radiance. There was also a figurehead on the front of the sleigh, a beautiful angel. Her body and wings were as white as the clouds, and the wings melted into them, a seamless transition. Her face was serene with a tiny, mysterious smile. For a moment it reminded him of Shunsui before he squashed the thought.

"Yeah, you are! Starrk's an artist." Lilynette said approvingly. "Hey, have you shown him your paintings?" She asked and Starrk shook his head as Efran looked at him curiously.

"No, I haven't been able to work on them lately." His artwork always took second place to his mechanicals. And besides… "It's all the same thing, really." The designs he made required the same artistic spark as his paintings.

"Yeah, but your designs are hard for people to get. The paintings aren't. You should show him sometime." Lilynette said and Starrk nodded. She was right. Then Efran was gripping the edge of the sleigh, pulling himself aboard.

"Come on! I want to see!" He called and Starrk laughed before going down the sleigh and touching a button. A set of stairs unfolded, letting them easily ascend. Then they began their tour through the grounds.

Starrk had had the house mechanicals stringing lights and making sure the permanent fixtures were uncovered. They didn't keep them on all the time – it would be both a waste of coal and unfortunate for the wildlife – but tonight, everything was brightly lit. They traveled through a wonderland of lights and Efran gasped in awe as he saw everything. Starrk smiled at his wonder and Lilynette looked around, appreciating the beauty but not very impressed. She'd seen it all before.

After the first circuit, they thought it was done. But Starrk had other plans.

"I've reprogrammed the reindeer." He explained to them both as Grimmjow and two other mechanicals belted on the saddles. "They can take riders now. Would you like a faster ride?" Without the sleigh to pull, the three reindeer would be fleet of foot and quite agile. He'd made sure of that when he was reprogramming them. Lilynette squealed as Efran smiled, his grey blue eyes bright and eager.

"That's great! Something new! You're awesome Starrk!" She said, clapping her hands together. Grimmjow chuckled at her as he finished with the saddle. "Wee hee!" She'd ridden before but Efran hadn't. Starrk wasn't worried, though. He had a great deal of natural agility.

He was right not to be worried. Efran soon got the hang of it, grinning widely as the scenery went by at a much faster clip. Lilynette squealed as her reindeer dashed through a great snow drift, scattering it widely into the air. The pine trees overhead were more impressive, outside of the sleigh, although the lights were harder to see. It hardly mattered though… the speed was what was fun and Starrk hunched down over the neck of his reindeer, enjoying the wind in his hair.

They arrived back at the manor tousled and breathless. Starrk slid down off his reindeer and gasped as he was immediately grabbed and pulled into a passionate kiss. Warm hands explored his body and he groaned in the back of his throat, melting into the attention.

"I love you so much." His young creation breathed in his ear and Starrk's eyes softened. He gently cupped Efran's cheek before kissing him again. He tasted wonderful, warm and sweet and eager.

"I love you too." He murmured in his ear when the kiss was done, then yelped as he was lifted up. "Efran!" It was a bit odd since they were the same height, but he was nearly weightless for the mechanical. Lilynette was laughing as Efran carried him away and Starrk couldn't help but smile, hanging on.

This was going to be a beautiful night.


End file.
